To want to faint in McDonalds?

[TheLowestFlyer]

DH has slowly introduced a regime of positive reinforcement that, for a wide range of reasons, means I have to take the DC to McDonalds once a month for a sit down meal. This produces a physical response in me that makes me want to, first, gag and then faint. I assume it must be the vaporised oil in the air, the terrible food odours and weird and discoloured plastic decor (and the hyperactive and frankly unappealing toddlers screaming around whenever we go?). Whatever it is, it triggers a really intense response from me and I basically dread these scheduled outings and have to choke back vomiting for the whole meal.

Unfortunately the DC have become really emotionally invested in these going to MacDonalds (to what I think is a really unhealthy level) and DH's schedule means that I am unquestionably the only one who can take then. How do I extricate myself from going to McDonalds? Has anyone else weaned their DC from depending fast food? They genuinely love it, especially the earth-killing toys they abandon minutes after leaving

[Stoppissingonmyheather]

Black hole in your stomach you say? Get yourself down to a&e pronto

[Rno3gfr]

The toys from McD’s are now made out of recyclable materials (mainly paper). You can thank me later.

[ButtonMoony]

I am not really sure what this thread is about.......but........

I'm lovin' it

[SD1978]

Current offering in Maccas. You're welcome.

[Justilou1]

👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼

[Justilou1]

Wow! That emoji doesn’t translate well!

[PeriPeriMenosauce]

Doesn't every Maccas in Aus have an outdoor seating and play area?

Maccas toys are the worst. Can you offer them some compensation for foregoing the toy... like an ice-cream or $2 cash.

I agree with some of your points. It does smell weird in there - same as every single branch of Subway.

Our preferred poison is KFC. Maybe give that a try?

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

"I can't just not take them any more - it would be absolutely crushing as they've become so dependent on it and they would see me as the villain. Framing your partner as the enemy isn't part of the Autonomous Parenting strategy, and I'm not sure they would blame him even if I explained the situation to them."

That's me out.
Anyone who can't actually make an adult decision in favour of allowing their kids to dictate what happens, regardless of how it makes the adult feel, isn't able to be helped here.
Don't really see the point of posting, to be honest. OP isn't listening to anything that anyone says.

[ThumbWitchesAbroad]

^Doesn't every Maccas in Aus have an outdoor seating and play area?"

Not round us, no. Seating is all indoor, and so are the play areas. Of course, I haven't been to every Maccas, so some may have outdoor seating and play areas but the ones I've been to don't.

[mrsdaltongrant]

@TheLowestFlyer he won't take them and you won't not take them so I'm afraid just suck it up. You don't say how old they are? We've never been one for weekly takeaways and probably goes against your autonomous parenting philosophy, but when my children ask I just say no. Mine have fast food less than once a month. Does this philosophy mean if they ask you to do soemthing you just have to do it? How are they and do they have additional needs?

[BoomBoomsCousin]

My kids adored MacDs when they were small too (mainly for those damn toys) but I found other stuff they loved (because I’m not a fan and I didn’t want it to be the go to option. So I understand the not wanting to go. But this...

I can't just not take them any more - it would be absolutely crushing as they've become so dependent on it

Of course you can just not take them. They wouldn’t be crushed, they’d be disappointed. But you don’t have to stop the positive rewards and you can tell them they can always ask daddy if he’ll take them when he’s available (autonomous parenting doesn’t mean you’re on the hook for protecting his promise when he refuses to fulfill it himself) but you’ve tried MacDs for a few months and you really don’t like it so you need to find something else they’d love that you are also comfortable doing. Then try other things that you think they’ll like. I probably wouldn’t cut MacDs out entirely in one fell swoop (though you can), just do something different every other time at first. Then when they find other things they like a bit more, you can offer them the choice of that a bit more instead of every other time at MacD’s (I’d still keep up experimenting with things every other time, though, gives you more flexibility and leads to great experiences.

Things my kids would have loved when they loved MacDs - picnic with lots of things to choose from, soft play (worse than MacD’s in someways!), cat cafe, visiting fair, trip to the bookshop (and a new book), trip to the ‘better’ playground with trampolines, afternoon tea, mezze platter at local Greek restaurant, a magazine with a crappy toy attached...

[SeaTurtles92]

@SD1978

Current offering in Maccas. You're welcome.

I want one. I hope this is the UK.

[DoTheNextRightThing]

From the site that brought you The Sistine Screamer, now comes The McDonalds Fainter!

[SpnBaby1967]

Oh man, now I want a McDonald's! No other fast food does chips as delicious as theirs!

Australia must be behind the times. My local McDonald's is all desk wooden tables and chairs, grey and brown muted decorating. All very classy

[GiveMeNovocain]

Come up with your own treat and do that instead? Just say McDonald's makes you feel ill so that's dad's treat but yours is something else. Doesn't have to be food. There's a play park with a zip line dd especially loves. I'd use that as a bribe instead of her normal park. Although I tend to just use praise instead of stuff/food. She gets treats just because I'm in the mood to say yes.

[BoyTree]

How come he can refuse to take them at the weekend, but if you do the same, you're the villain?

I'm not sure that ensuring that the other parent does something they fundamentally hate should be part of your autonomous parenting strategy either-it doesn't sound very fair.

[SpringtimeSummertime]

I don’t think the ‘Autonomous Parenting strategy’ is working do you OP?

[FunnyWonder]

Seriously OP, gagging in McDonald's is the least of your problems. I've read some crap on here, but 'schedule'? Going for fast food should be fun, maybe even spontaneous. And yes, it has its place as a reward. But this monthly pilgrimage, dictated by your DH, sounds utterly joyless. I know it's only a snapshot of a life, but Christ, I feel depressed just reading this.

[HarrietHardy]

I can't just not take them any more - it would be absolutely crushing as they've become so dependent on it

Does this translate as spoiled? Not worth the tantrum?

[BlueDahlia69]

is this all wind up ?

[Bluesheep8]

is this all wind up ?

I really thought it was initially but now I'm not sure

[BlueDahlia69]

@Bluesheep8

is this all wind up ?

I really thought it was initially but now I'm not sure

it's utterly bizarre, why would anyone would sacrifice their own mental well being to accommodate everyone else's needs.

I would call it abusive, if it weren't so easily fixed, but OP will not hear of fixing it. Utterly bewildering.

[BRB2021]

I reported it to MNHQ but apparently the poster is a genuine mnetter!

[BlueDahlia69]

@BRB2021

I reported it to MNHQ but apparently the poster is a genuine mnetter!

crikey 😳

[VaVaGloom]

Go to Wagamama's instead?